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thambho

thambha

masc nom sg of thambha (noun)

1. pillar; post; column; lit. support
2. stubbornness; obstinance; obdurance; lit. stiff
3. paralysis; stiffness; being frozen; lit. stiff
4. clump of grass; lit. stiff
5. bannister; baluster; lit. support

Built from

• thambh — root · stiff, firm
  √stambh- in Sanskrit and Greek; the concrete image of stiffness or rigidity underlies both the physical sense (pillar that stands firm) and the abstract (stubborn mind, paralyzed limb).
• a — ending · masculine singular
  Standard masculine nominative singular ending in Pali nouns; marks the word as a grammatical unit in citation form.

Etymology. Root √stambh- (Sanskrit √stambh-, Greek στέμβω stembo-, to stiff or thrust; cognate with English stem). The concrete sense is *stiffness* or *standing firm*: a pillar stands firm and stiff, hence thambha denotes a support and also rigidity of posture and will. Related to Latin stamen, English stem.

Meanings from the Digital Pāḷi Dictionary; morphology and etymology by Claude.

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